Here We Go Again

In my stocking this year, tucked right at the bottom, was a little pot of ‘Grow Your Own Irises’. Last year, my grandma bought me and Rachel some ‘Grow Your Own Crocuses’ and this is how they turned out. Basically a pot of soil harbouring some greeny blue mould – not a flower in sight. Nevertheless, I decided last weekend to go forth and begin the process of killing my irises.

I took the little compost tablet and soaked it in the appropriate amount of water, as instructed. It then proceeded to suck it all up and become about 10 times the size.

I filled the pretty pot with 2/3 of the soil, arranged the bulbs (the right way up) and then put some more soil on top, leaving the shoots sticking through. I followed the instructions to the letter.

Then I took them outside to our out building thing that has our washing machine in it and put them on the table in the corner. And there they shall stay, being topped up with water every now and then. I think the main problem with my crocuses was that my room was much too warm for them, and I probably watered them a bit too much. This time, the irises will be out in the cold but still protected and they’ll be much further away so it’s more of an effort to water them. This should deter me from venturing out to them to over-water them. I’m taking the ‘not caring’ approach to the whole thing in attempt to tricking them into not growing. Every time I do my laundry, I’ll give them a little drink and then leave without looking back. I won’t get attached, and they can do whatever they like. That way, I figure they’re more likely to grow. Just to spite me. I think there’s a method in my madness, somewhere. We shall see.

The reason I decided to plant my irises that weekend was because it was the first weekend that the sun had shone in a long time and I just felt I had to do SOMEthing kind of outdoorsey. I also hung my washing up outside for the first time ever and it was so much better than having it clog up my room! And it dries so much faster and smells SO much fresher! I had to bring them in before they were fully dry, because it started to rain but even so they’d dried as much as they would in a day in just an hour. I was very impressed.

The only problem was that I couldn’t fit everything on the line, and the white top I put on there ended up with a dirty line across it from the line, and two dirty peg marks as neither the line or pegs had been used since we moved in in October. Thankfully my other clothes were dark and you couldn’t see any marks, but I’ll look out for that in the future!

It makes me wish for warm, sunny days; although I know when they arrive I’ll be too busy revising in my room to enjoy them. At least I have a mini garden that I can go and sit in and bask in the sunlight for a while if I want to. Plus the internet connection will reach outside, which was the main problem on campus last year when we had to use a wire to connect. This way I can still revise AND soak up the rays – yay!